United Nations (Syrian Cultural Property) Regulations 2015

Order in Council

Pursuant to section 2 of the United Nations Act 1946, Her Excellency the Administrator of the Government makes the following regulations,—

(a)

acting on the advice and with the consent of the Executive Council; and

(b)

for the purpose of giving effect to resolution 2199 (2015) of the Security Council of the United Nations, adopted pursuant to the United Nations Charter on 12 February 2015, calling upon the Government of New Zealand and all other member States of the United Nations to apply in respect of cultural property from Syria the measures set out in that resolution.

(a)

the importation of which is prohibited under section 54(1) of that Act; and

(b)

the exportation of which is prohibited under section 56(1) of that Act.

(2)

The Comptroller of Customs must give any specified cultural property to which the Crown has title as forfeited goods to a person authorised in writing by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade to receive the property (instead of disposing of the property under section 237(2) of the Customs and Excise Act 1996).

Offences

8 Offences

Every person commits an offence against these regulations, and is liable accordingly under section 3 of the United Nations Act 1946, who breaches or fails to comply with any of the provisions of these regulations.

Martin Bell,for Clerk of the Executive Council.

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the regulations, but is intended to indicate their general effect.

These regulations, which come into force on 6 August 2015, give effect to resolution 2199 (2015) of the Security Council of the United Nations, adopted pursuant to the United Nations Charter on 12 February 2015.

The regulations prohibit the trade, transfer, import, and export of cultural property that was illegally removed from any place in Syria after 15 March 2011. The prohibition extends to property in respect of which there are reasonable grounds to suspect that it was illegally removed.